Rhythm of Love
by Crystal heart of ruby love
Summary: What happens when the most popular girl band meets the most popular boy band through a misunderstanding? Will it be "the battle of the sexes"? Or will they be influenced by the rhythm of love?
1. Prologue: Latest News Alert!

_Author's note: This is an inspiration I had a very long time ago. But I was working on my other fan-fictions, hence I put this idea aside. This is my first attempt at pure romance, without all the tragedy I'm used to writing. So please read on and I hope you like it!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny or any of the characters._

**Prologue – Latest News Alert!**

_**Amour's Last Orb Concert**_

_Reporter Josephine Lara, Orb – _

_Orb's most popular girl band 'Amour' will be holding their very last concert in Orb's Grand Sports Stadium before embarking on their remarkable 1-year concert tour. _

_Murrue Ramius, manager of Amour, said "The girls are incredibly excited for their upcoming concert tour, and I'm sure that all their fans out there are equally eager to see the girls performing in their country." This is, of course, to be expected, considering the crowd that parks itself outside the concert venue hours before every Amour concert. _

_Formed 3 years ago, Amour has since released an incredible record number of albums and singles, while acclaiming fans all over Earth and PLANTs. It is no doubt why they are deemed as the most popular girl band in town. _

_Early last week, Amour announced that they would be embarking on their 1-year concert tour at the end of the year. They will be visiting places such as Paris, London and Tokyo, to say the least. Not forgetting their fans in PLANTs, the girls will also conduct concerts in Aprilius One, Copernicus City and Heliopolis._

_To explain the upcoming concert in Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, Ramius said, "The girls wanted to hold one last concert before they leave Orb. So we decided to hold it this Saturday."_

_This concert features Amour's greatest hits and tickets are selling fast. Don't miss out on Amour's last Orb concert._

* * *

_**Liebe Concert C.E. 70**_

_Reporter Michelle Leon, Orb – _

_The long-awaited annual Liebe Concert has arrived and is set for this Saturday. Tickets are completely sold out. What will we expect to see?_

_Said Mu La Flaga, manager of Orb's most popular boy band 'Liebe', "The boys will be performing some of their newest songs, including a yet-to-release single. And of course, fans won't miss out on some of their long-time favourites."_

_Consisting of lead singer Kira Yamato, supporting singer and bass guitarist Athrun Zala, keyboardist Dearka Elsman, drummer Shinn Asuka and rhythm guitarist Yzak Joule, Liebe was formed by manager Mu La Flaga in C.E. 67. Since then, Liebe has released numerous albums and singles, charming fans all over the world and attaining the title of "Most Popular Boy Band"._

_This year, they will be holding their concert in Orb's Grand Sports Stadium. It's definitely something fans mustn't miss out on._


	2. Chapter 1: The Curtain Opens

**Chapter One: The Curtain Opens**

_C.E. 70, 1 July_

_Saturday, 4.36pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, in the "Amour" Band Bus_

"Wow," Miriallia muttered, "the fans sure are wild tonight. I mean, it's like double the number of fans we have at each concert." She pressed her face against the tinted windows of the band bus. The muffled ongoing chant of "Amour! Amour! Amour!" was quite overwhelming.

Cagalli snorted, sidling farther back into the plush seat and propping her feet on the edge of the table across from her. Shiho, who had been reading a book, made a face at Cagalli and batted her feet away, annoyed, only to receive a half-hearted pout from the blonde before those offending feet swung back onto the table. "Oh, please!" Cagalli sighed, tossing an absurd glance at Miriallia, "Our fans are _always_ wild wherever we go, whatever we do. Isn't that right, Luna?"

"Totally!" Lunamaria grinned, bumping fists with Cagalli. Miriallia and Shiho could only roll their eyes at them.

"Miriallia's right though." Lacus squeezed past Cagalli's raised legs to join the brunette at the window, "The crowd is certainly far wilder than usual. Did we do a lot more promotion than usual, Murrue?"

"Nope." Came the faint reply. Murrue popped her head out from behind the curtain. "Just the usual – posters, banners, advertisements, nothing different or unusual. Will you put your feet down, Cagalli?"

Cagalli pouted again, this time to no effect.

"Anyway, there's nothing wrong about having such a large audience. After all, you girls are the most popular girl band and this is your last concert in town. Nothing to be surprised about." Murrue said, and to the driver, she added, "Steer clear of those fans, park at the back of the stadium. We don't want our girls to get mobbed the moment they step out of the bus."

"Gotcha!" Arnold Neumann grinned, spinning the steering wheel and pulling the bus onto the route towards the parking lot at the back, away from the doors of the stadium.

Several meters away, another band bus was turning into the stadium's parking lot too.

* * *

_Saturday, 4.38pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, in the "Liebe" Band Bus_

"Will you cut it out?" Athrun snapped, covering his ears as the music blared on in the tour bus.

"What?"

"I said, cut it out!

"What?"

"Turn down the freaking volume!"

"Could you speak louder?"

Athrun groaned frustrated, and nodded at Kira who was sitting across from him, his fingers stabbed into his ears. Kira took the cue. He tipped his chair back and leaned backwards to yank the plug out of the socket with a ferocious wrench.

Silence fell like a shroud.

Kira and Athrun sighed in blessed relief. Dearka, on the other hand, tilted the CD player upside down, puzzled, seeking the source of malfunction. When he noticed the unplugged socket, he whirled on the two of them, glowering.

Just then, Mu swept into the lounge suddenly, clapping his hands to demand their attention, "Alright, guys, we're here. So, are you all..."

"What?" Yzak interrupted, looking up at him from where he was lying casually. He extracted two cotton fluffs from his ears. Mu sighed exasperatedly. "I asked if you guys are ready. We're here at the Sports Stadium."

"Cool!" Shinn scrambled past Mu to peer out of the window, "Sheesh, we have a large crowd today. Double than usual." "You're right..." Kira murmured thoughtfully. "Ah well, who called us the best boy band in town anyway?" Dearka grinned idiotically in response.

Mu whacked him on the head. "Look, we're going to park behind the stadium so the fans don't get to us. So, pack up now. Are you guys ready for a wild night?"

"Totally!" They grinned, bumping fists.

* * *

_Saturday, 4.51pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, parking lot_

Cagalli stretched as she hopped down from the bus. She put on her sunglasses and moved aside for Lacus to come down. Miriallia handed her her guitar and flicked open her own pair of sunglasses, putting it on. Murrue clambered down from the bus and exchanged a word with the driver.

"Well then, best be off." Murrue said, "Before the fans catch up to us." She ushered the girls towards the back entrance of the stadium.

Not far off, Athrun was busy trying to hold back Dearka who had proudly announced the instant he alighted from the band bus, that he was heading for the front entrance to grant their fans an appearance. "As popular figures in the music industry, we've got to show off a little," He proclaimed, brushing Athrun's hand off and taking a few steps towards the front of the stadium. "Don't go looking for trouble, idiot!" Yzak snapped, smacking him on the head as he got down from the bus, "I'll kill you if you invite the fans here."

He thrust the guitar and keyboard none too gently at Athrun and Dearka. Then he sauntered off towards the back entrance of the sports stadium, followed closely by Mu and the rest of the guys.

* * *

_Saturday, 5.00pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, backstage_

"According to the black and white, we booked the area first!"

"Your name isn't the only name written on the booking list."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"I'm not. Now, move aside, so my guys can set up the equipment."

"Dream on. You're not the only one with a job. _I_ have to do _my_ job too!"

Murrue came to a sudden halt when she pushed open the door to the backstage area. Behind her, Cagalli crashed into her and it resulted in a mess of limbs, groans and grumbling. Murrue ignored the girls and stepped forward, astonishment pasted all over her face. "Woah! What in the world is going on here?" Murrue cried, tangling her hand in her hair in exasperation. Band equipment was strewn all over the place and a large group of people were engaging in a shouting and glaring match while onlookers watched, amused.

At the head of the fight, were Erica Simmons and Kojiro Murdoch, both bristling with anger and flustered. Before either could reply, there was another exclamation from across the area. Everyone turned to see Mu at the other entrance to the backstage area; the other awe-struck guys were trying to look over his shoulders.

"See? I told you we booked the place first!" Erica and Kojiro yelled at each other simultaneously, pointing at 'Amour' and 'Liebe' respectively over each other's shoulders.

Everyone exchanged glances, and all of a sudden, Cagalli recognized the amethyst eyes that stared back at her, the same surprise reflected in them. Slowly, she lowered her sunglasses and stared in abject horror at her brother, whose jaw had dropped.

"Kira?"

"Cagalli?"

_Author's note: Oh well, I wonder what will happen next? _

_So, did you like it? What do you think? Should I continue writing, or stop this worthless babbling? Please, please review!! All criticisms are accepted too. So review please!_


	3. Chapter 2: Hey! I Know You!

_Everyone exchanged glances, and all of a sudden, Cagalli recognized the amethyst eyes that stared back at her, the same surprise reflected in them. Slowly, she lowered her sunglasses and stared in abject horror at her brother, whose jaw had fallen down._

"_Kira?"_

"_Cagalli?"_

**Chapter Two: Hey! I Know You!**

_Saturday, 5.06pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, backstage_

Kira and Cagalli gaped at each other in disbelief.

Dearka nudged Athrun discreetly. "Who's she? Does Kira know her?" He whispered, eyeing Cagalli suspiciously. Athrun shrugged, "I've never seen her before, but… Cagalli… I think she's Kira's sister. Twin sister, I mean – Cagalli Yula Athha." Dearka whipped around and gave him a look as though he was crazy. "But they don't even look alike!" He gestured wildly at the blonde across the room, whose furious amber eyes and blonde hair were a direct opposite of Kira's gentle amethyst ones and shock of brown locks.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Cagalli barked all of a sudden, as if shaken from her trance by Dearka's exaggerated motions, "How can _you_ be here?"

Kira opened his mouth, and then closed it again, gaping like a fish out of water.

"Okay…" Dearka drawled, "They not only look different, they _are _different!"

"I'm here with my band," Kira stammered eventually, waving towards the other guys behind him, "But what are you and Miriallia doing here?"

"Same reason as you, _little_ brother!" Cagalli remarked. At the same time, Lacus frowned, squinting to look at the midnight-haired man standing beside the brunette.

"Athrun?" She gasped in surprise. The man in question glanced at her, surprised. Then his emerald eyes widened in recognition. "Lacus!"

Everyone gawked at the pair of acquaintances. "You know her?" Dearka drew back. "Um… Lacus' my fiancée," Athrun replied pointedly, scratching his head. This time, the eyes watching them became saucers and jaws fell open.

"Alright, this is getting stranger by the minute!" Yzak declared impatiently, tearing the awkward silence apart.

Murrue exhaled noisily and mussed up her brown hair. "Well, what are you doing here, Mu? I thought you said you were having a concert with the boys?" She snarled.

"Well, yeah. It's supposed to be _here_, Murrue…" Mu stated in a matter-of-fact tone, which made Murrue's fury sky-rocket through the roof.

"Wait. Hold up! You guys know each other _too_?" Dearka interrupted.

"Of course we do!" snapped Murrue, "We're husband and wife!"

If Athrun hadn't been holding up Dearka, Dearka would have fainted. It was too much drama for one night, and yet the real show hadn't even begun yet!

"H-Husband and wife?" Miriallia stuttered. "Murrue, just what in the world's going on here?" Murrue shot her a "_How would I know?_" kind of look, then turned her glare to Erica and Kojiro, who looked equally confused. "Well?" The brunette demanded, waiting for an answer.

"You see, we booked the stadium for Amour's concert," Erica began, "And now, they're claiming they booked the stadium for Liebe's concert. No one's sure what's going on. It's disastrous! Someone's gone to look for Andrew Waltfield to clear things up!"

Murrue heaved a sigh and covered her eyes with a hand. She should have brought an aspirin with her. "But the concert's starting in two hours' time!" She groaned, "How could a screw-up like this occur now?"

There was a chuckle somewhere behind them and everyone turned to look at the new arrival. "Not to worry! Not to worry! I'm here to the rescue!" Andrew Waltfield strolled in casually, as though completely ignorant of the eyes carrying daggers.

"Thank god!" Murrue exclaimed, "Now, what's going on, Andrew?"

"Oh, this is just a misunderstanding. Miss Murrue contacted Aisha to book the stadium while Mu called me. It so happened that Aisha is out on an errand these few days, so she didn't tell me personally that Amour booked the stadium. That's why the bookings kind of got mixed up and overlapped."

Murrue stared at him open-mouthed. _Now_ was a _fantastically_ great time to tell them there was a major overlap in bookings!

Mu sighed and pressed the bridge of his nose in deep thought. "So, what do we do now?" He demanded weakly, almost afraid that there was no solution.

"Well, basically, you have 3 choices." Andrew Waltfield clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back onto his heels, glancing from Mu to Murrue, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"Spit it out!" Murrue growled.

"Okay, choice number 1 – you refund the tickets."

"No way! We're leaving Orb soon. We must hold this last concert."

"And how can we disrupt our annual practice? We hold concerts every year, and we've never cancelled concerts before! How would this make the boys look?"

"Okay then. You have choice number two – You hold the concert some other time."

"Some other time? Are you out of your mind? We don't have time!"

"Holding the concert some other time will disrupt all our other activities!"

"Well then, you have choice number three – you share the stadium."

Dumbfounded silence engulfed them all. "What?" Waltfield shrugged, glancing from one to the other.

"Don't even joke like that…" Murrue said sarcastically.

Waltfield shrugged again, which was completely annoying Murrue. "You don't really have any other choice."

Murrue and Mu exchanged a glance. A desperate glance.

"Share the stadium?" Mu repeated.

Before Murrue could say anything, chaos had erupted. Everyone was protesting and shouting at each other at the top of their voices. It was like an all-out battle between the sexes. Even Erica, Kojiro and their crew of technicians returned to their initial arguing.

"Excuse me!" Murrue and Mu screamed, trying to get their attention. It took three tries before everyone turned to look at them.

"Thank you!" Murrue panted, "Now, look here. We don't have much of a choice. All our fans are out there and they probably don't know anything about this screw-up. If we find a way to share the stadium successfully, we can avoid disappointing them. So, do we all agree?"

"I can't believe we have to share the stadium with _girls_!" Yzak growled.

"Well, I can't believe we have to share the stadium with _boys_!" Cagalli retaliated.

"Will you cut it out?" Lacus and Kira sighed simultaneously. Then they stopped, and glanced at each other in surprise. Lacus smiled apologetically at Kira, but for some reason she couldn't understand, Kira looked away and blushed furiously.

"But we've never shared a concert venue with anyone," pointed out Miriallia. "Well, neither have we and we don't plan to." Shinn remarked.

"Look, we don't have a choice. Either we cancel this concert and refund tickets, arrange another day, or we share the stadium. There are thousands of fans out there, we don't want to disappoint them." Mu said.

"Well, I bet most of the fans out there are Amour fans." Cagalli grinned proudly.

"No. They're Liebe fans." Shinn glared at her.

"Get real. We're the most popular girl band." Lunamaria snapped.

"And you're talking to the most popular boy band." Dearka striked back.

"Alright. Cut it out. Guys, we're not here to pick a fight." Kira stepped in between his sister and band mate. "We just want to make this a successful concert, so if we all just take a step back, things will be settled peacefully." "That's right," Lacus added, "I agree. We haven't much time to argue. Since we don't have a choice, we will just have to plan how we're going to share this stadium."

Shinn snorted, reluctant to back down but doing so all the same. Cagalli glared at him and stuck out her tongue mischievously. "Are you sure that's Kira's twin sister?" Shinn whispered furiously as he past Athrun.

Lacus exchanged a glance with Kira and smiled. The brunette returned her smile, but he blushed again, running a hand through his disheveled brown hair sheepishly. Lacus couldn't help the soft giggle that escaped her lips. There was something charming about this Kira, not to mention cute… She had to find out more about him from Cagalli when she had a chance.

"Well, what now?" Murrue said, "There's only one stage in this stadium and we have a whole mixture of fans out there. We can't split the stage in half and perform at the same time. We can't separate the fans too. All we can do is perform one at a time."

"Well alright, to make it fair, we're performing alternatively. We'll go first." Cagalli said. The guys protested, except Kira and Athrun, who were considerably more gentlemanly. "We're girls. So, girls get to go first." Shiho declared. "Yeah. Unless you're girls," Lunamaria smirked, "Maybe then, we might consider letting you go first, so what do you say, _girls_?"

"Fine! You can go first!"

Cagalli reached out and bumped fists with Shiho and Lunamaria victoriously, to the disgust of Yzak, Shinn and Dearka.

Murrue rolled her eyes at them and turned to Mu and Andrew Waltfield, who had been watching everything, amused. "Okay. Now we've settled this, I think we need the technicians to set everything up as fast as they can. We'll have to collaborate to make it in time for the two concerts. Can it be done?" She nodded at both Kojiro and Erica. They agreed, rather grudgingly and began to direct their technicians. "In the meantime, I think we need to go and check on the fans. If the need comes up, we might have to clear any misunderstanding or confusion within the crowd." She said to Mu and Andrew. They agreed and left for the entrance of the stadium together.

* * *

_Saturday, 5.29pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, entrance_

Kuzzey tugged at Sai's sleeve to get his attention, then he pointed at a group of girls standing not far off. "Hey Sai, isn't that Meyrin, Flay and Meer?" Sai turned around to look at where Kuzzey was pointing.

"Hey, you're right. But what are they doing here?"

The two guys wove their way through the excited crowd and approached the three girls. "Hey, aren't you girls supposed to be supporting Amour tonight? We agreed on that, didn't we?" Sai asked.

"Oh, what're you doing here?" Meer stared at them, surprised. "Well, yeah we are supporting Amour tonight. Too bad Amour and Liebe are both holding concerts at the same time. But shouldn't you be somewhere else supporting Liebe?"

"Uh, yeah. It's here."

"No, Amour's being held here tonight."

"Can't be." Sai took out the ticket from his pocket. So did Flay. They put their tickets side-by-side and stared at the venues written on both tickets. Both stated: "_Orb Grand Sports Stadium_" and _"7.00pm"_.

"Oh boy." Kuzzey sighed. "I smell disaster."

_Author's note: Oops! What's going to happen now? Will disaster strike? Ah well, we're just have to see. Next chapter, the concert's on!_

_So, how did you find this chapter? Do you like it? Please drop me a review! All criticisms are accepted too. So please, please review!!_


	4. Chapter 3: The Concert Is On!

Author's note: Here's Chapter 3 of Rhythm of Love! The songs used in this chapter are Guys Next Door's "_I've Been Waiting For You_" and Cassie's "_Is it You?_"

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny or any of their characters. I do not own "Is It You?" or "I've Been Waiting For You".

_They put their tickets side-by-side and stared at the venues written on both tickets. Both stated: "Orb Grand Sports Stadium" and "7.00pm". _

"_Oh boy." Kuzzey sighed. "I smell disaster."_

**Chapter Three: The Concert Is On!**

_Saturday, 6.40pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, entrance_

"Hey," Flay said, "They're finally opening the doors. Let's go in!"

Flay, Meer, Meyrin, Sai and Kuzzey entered the stadium together and had to fight their way to the front of the stage.

"Wonder what's going to happen now." Meyrin sighed, "I hope everything's alright. How ridiculous and unbelievable, a screw-up like that!" "Exactly!" Meer nodded, "But let's just hope they have everything settled. After all, Mu and Murrue made the announcement just now to explain what's going on."

"I think it was a shock to the fans." Kuzzey chuckled. "After all, this is the first time Amour and Liebe are collaborating for a concert and to think that everyone bought tickets for their favourite band and arrive here to find out we're all watching a concert by two of the most popular bands!"

"Well, let's just hope things are settled backstage. If it turns out successful, this will be an amazing concert!" Sai grinned.

Behind them, cheers of "Amour! Amour! Amour!" and "Liebe! Liebe! Liebe!" were blended together like war cries.

* * *

_Saturday, 7.00pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium_

The lights began to dim and colourful spotlights swept through the audience. Instantly, the crowd went wild and the cheers began again, this time, louder than before. Flay, Sai, Kuzzey, Meer and Meyrin turned to the stage eagerly.

"It's starting!"

* * *

_Saturday, 7.05pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, backstage_

"... so, everyone, let us welcome..."

Cagalli looked at the rest of the girls, who grinned at her expectantly. "We're going up!" Miriallia whispered, slapping a high-five with Shiho.

"... LIEBE!" the introduction echoed through the entire backstage.

"Oh yeah, that's..." Cagalli stopped short, her eyes wide from surprise, "... not us..." She finished, and whipped around to glare at Kira. Her twin looked equally baffled. "I didn't do anything! Seriously..." He raised his hands in a defensive gesture as Cagalli advanced on him. "Oops, that's us," Dearka smirked, pushing past Cagalli and gripping Kira's wrist, dragging him along, "Let's go, guys!"

The guys trooped out, laughing, while Kira and Athrun trailed behind, staring at each other in confusion.

"How did that happen?" Miriallia muttered aloud.

"Don't you know what bribery is?" Dearka had appeared behind the door again. He popped his head around and smirked irritatingly at the girls. "Just deliver a free kiss and you get whatever you want!"

"Jerk!"

Dearka was out of the door before Cagalli had even caught up. She raced towards the door, only to be pulled back by Lacus and Shiho. "Where's the nearest kitchen? I need a knife. No, make that a chopper!" Cagalli yelled, brandishing her fist at the closed door.

Lacus sighed. "No, Cagalli. You're not going to kill him."

"I can't believe it!" Luna collapsed onto a nearby speaker. "We're sharing the concert venue with a bunch of _jerks_!"

* * *

_Saturday, 7.13pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium_

"It's so wonderful to see all of you here tonight," Kira grinned at the screaming crowd downstage. The fan girls had almost screamed their heads off and some were fanning themselves while others were at a high risk of hyperventilating. "In a moment, Amour will be performing. But in the mean time, you wouldn't mind if Liebe played a song, would you?" Kira let the screams that erupted flood the stadium for a while. "All right then, here's the song 'I've Been Waiting For You', for all Liebe fans out there!"

Kira stepped to the center of the stage and glanced back at the guys. They nodded at him, grinning and Kira smiled, clicking his fingers.

Shinn struck the drums with the drumsticks three times in quick succession and began to tap out a constant rhythm. Light, melodious notes emitted from the electrical keyboard to blend with the beats as Dearka's nimble fingers flashed over the white keys. A beautiful melody began to form when Yzak and Athrun joined the mix with the strumming of their guitars.

Kira shifted his weight from foot to foot slowly, bobbing his head in time to the beats. The he lifted the microphone and allowed his voice to slide up his throat and through his parted lips.

_Yeah... girl_

_I've been searching so long_

_In this world_

_Trying to find someone_

_Who could be_

_What my picture of love was to me_

_Then you came along_

_When I saw you_

_I knew you were the one_

_The love that I'd been dreaming of_

Kira turned and moved towards Athrun, who was playing the guitar beside Yzak. Athrun glanced at Kira and stepped up to the microphone on the mike stand. He leaned closer and added his voice to melody, providing the background vocals for the chorus.

_'Cause I've been waiting for you_

_All my life_

_For somebody who (somebody who...)_

_Makes me feel the way I feel_

_When I'm with you baby_

_Have you been waiting too_

_'Cause I've been waiting for you_

Both vocalists paused for breath as the melody flowed on. They exchanged a brotherly grin and Kira took at step forward, facing the audience and began to sing again.

_Oh girl_

_I've been saving my love_

_All this time_

_'Cause I knew someday_

_I would find_

_The one that I've loved_

_For so long in my mind_

_From the moment_

_That I looked in your eyes_

_I saw the girl_

_I've loved all my life_

Kira took a step back again and came up in line with Athrun. Together, their voices blended once again as they sung the chorus in perfect harmony.

_'Cause I've been waiting for you_

_All my life_

_For somebody who (somebody who...)_

_Makes me feel the way I feel_

_When I'm with you baby_

_Have you been waiting too_

_'Cause I've been waiting for you_

Yzak, Shinn and Dearka joined their voices with Athrun's and Kira's and they sang the bridge as one.

_Now that I found you_

_I just can't let you go_

_No, no, no, no, no (Oh...)_

_Oh there's just one thing_

_I want you to know_

Kira brought the microphone closer to his lips and uttered the single sentence.

_Girl... I love you so_

Then he raised his voice and sang again, while the rest of Liebe echoed him, their voices chiming melodiously.

_I've been waiting for you_

_All my life, waiting for you (oh...)_

_I've been waiting for you_

_All my life (all my life...), waiting for you_

Kira was watching the swaying crowd as he sang. There was a nudge in his side and he turned to glance at Athrun quizzically. Athrun's green eyes were twinkling with amusement and he jerked his head towards the balcony when he had attracted Kira's attention. Kira followed Athrun's gaze and saw a shock of pink hair in the darkness of the balcony seats. It was Athrun's fiancée... Lacus Clyne. But she wasn't exactly looking at Athrun, instead, she was looking at Kira himself. Kira felt himself blushing from head to toe and he ducked his head, giving Athrun a "_What's wrong with you_?" kind of look before he forced his gaze back to the crowd. Athrun rolled his eyes but apparently Kira didn't notice it. His fingers continued to dance over the guitar's strings but he shifted his foot to prod Kira. Kira glared at him with a look that had '_Shut up_' spelled all over it and he turned away. The blue haired guitarist was about to give Kira another kick when he realized that Kira was stealing glances at the second level balcony seats. He smiled to himself.

_When I saw you_

_I knew you were the one_

_The love that I'd been dreaming of_

_I've been waiting for you_

_All my life, waiting for you (oh...)_

_I've been waiting for you_

_All my life (all my life...), waiting for you_

"He sounds good..." Lacus whispered softly to Cagalli in the balcony seats.

"Yeah, well... he's my brother, of course he sounds good. As for the rest of them... oh please!" Cagalli rolled her eyes. Well, in actual fact, she had to admit that all of them did sing _pretty_ well. She gazed through her eyelashes at the backup singer – Lacus' fiancé – who was strumming the guitar beside Kira. He was good. No denying. No wonder they were one of the best pop bands in town, but hey, they didn't need to know that she, Cagalli Yula Athha, thought so...

Lacus frowned, "Athrun isn't that bad. And the rest of them sound great too..."

Cagalli shot her a hard glare, one that seemed to say "_Am you nuts?_"

The song ended and the audience erupted into cheers and applause. Kira swept a deep bow and straightened, beaming. That, for god knows what reason, drove the fan girls wild, and they rushed to the edge of the stage, straining to make contact with Kira or Athrun, almost stampeding over Sai, Kuzzey, Flay, Meyrin, Meer in the process. Lacus bet the fan girls would never wash their hands again if either one of them just reached down and touched their outstretched hands.

This, unfortunately for the fan girls, didn't happen. Dearka, however, left his drums and shoved past Kira and Athrun to stand at the edge of the stage. "Take it easy, babes. Dearka Elsman is here!"

Kira and Athrun exchanged glances and shook their heads while some of their fan girls rolled their eyes and stalked away, while the majority remaining just screamed and grabbed his trouser legs. It took all of Dearka's strength to remain standing on the stage, before they dragged him off.

"Playboy..." Miriallia snorted, looking away.

Lacus sighed, smiling helplessly and opened the door of the balcony seats. "Come on, girls. It's our turn..."

* * *

_Saturday, 7.29pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, backstage_

"All of you were great." Lacus commented when the guys came in, "No doubt the most popular band in town."

Yzak, Shinn and Dearka laughed, shooting '_Told you so_' looks at the rest of the girls who looked away in disgust. Kira smiled apologetically at Lacus. "Thanks." He said softly... and a blush suffused his cheeks again.

Lacus jabbed her elbow into Cagalli's ribs. "Say something," She muttered through clenched teeth. Cagalli glared at her and rolled her eyes. "Great," She ground out, flicking a glance at the guys. Lacus sighed and shook her head, expecting more than one syllable from Cagalli.

"Oh well, we had better hurry," Lacus said, as some form of apology for Cagalli's tone. She took Cagalli's wrist and pulled her towards the stage door. Luna, Miriallia and Shiho were having a glaring contest with Shinn, Dearka and Yzak so Lacus didn't have a choice but to turn back and drag them away bodily. She flashed an apologetic smile at Kira as she closed the door behind them.

* * *

_Saturday, 7.35pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium_

"Now, are you ready to meet AMOUR?"

The crowd went wild as the five girls strolled onto the stage through the backstage door. They raised their hands to greet their fans and moved away to take their positions.

Lacus stood in the centre of the stage and faced the screaming fans. "Thank you so much for coming tonight," She smiled, addressing the crowd, "Big surprise, isn't it? Amour and Liebe performing together? Anyway, this song is dedicated to all our fans out there: 'Is It You?' Come on, girls!" She turned and walked towards Miriallia. The brunette was sitting at a white piano, which the technicians had pushed out after Liebe's performance.

Miriallia placed her fingers on the piano keys, paused for a moment, and began to play. The melody spewed forth, the single beats clear and distinct. On the seventh, Lacus glanced at Miriallia, lifted the microphone close to her parting lips and began to sing, her soft voice flowing over the crowd.

_I'm looking for a lover not a friend  
Somebody who can be there when I need someone to talk to  
I'm looking for someone who won't pretend  
Somebody not afraid to say the way they feel about you_

Shiho started up the synthesizer and began to play, her fingers dancing over the keys. She glanced at Miriallia and both keyboardists exchanged a smile. The single beats of the piano now blended with the wide assortment of beats emulated through the synthesizer. Luna raised her hands and joined the mix of melodies and beats with shrill claps. The result was an amazing piece of music with a powerful, pulsing rhythm.

_  
And I'm looking for someone who understands how I feel,  
Someone who can keep me real and who knows the way  
Baby I like to have you in my way  
And I'm looking for someone who takes me there,  
Wants to share, shows he cares  
Thinking you're the one that I've been waiting for_

Cagalli bent close to the microphone which stood in front of her on the mike stand and added her voice to the melody as Lacus began to enter the chorus. She pitched her voice an octave higher to blend into Lacus' smooth, gentle tone.

_Is it you? Is it you?  
Maybe you're the one I've been waiting for  
Could you be the one for me? (Could you be?)  
Could you be the one I need?_

The crowd was swaying with the music. The glowing light sticks they were holding moved from side to side. Half of the crowd was clapping alongside Lunamaria._  
_

As Lacus repeated the chorus again, she raised her eyes over the carpet of light sticks and caught a glimpse of a figure in the balcony seats. Kira Yamato.

He was standing there, leaning against the doorframe, exactly where she had been standing when he had been singing. And he was looking right down at her. She realized she was blushing and she didn't know why but she was quite sure that it wasn't because of the heat from the bright stage lights. She dropped her gaze, but time to time, her eyes would return to the second level to look at Kira._  
_

_I'm looking for someone to share my pain  
Someone who I can run to, who would stay with me when it rains  
Someone who I can cry with through the night  
Someone who I can trust who's heart's right  
And I'm looking for someone_

And I'm looking for someone who understands how I feel,  
Someone who can keep me real and who knows always  
Baby I like to have you in my way

And I'm looking for someone who takes me there,  
Wants to share, shows he cares  
Thinking you're the one that I've been waiting for

Lacus stepped towards Cagalli and stood close to her. Together, they faced the crowd and their voices intermingled once again for the chorus.

_  
Is it you? Is it you?  
Maybe you're the one I've been waiting for  
Could you be the one for me? (Is it you...)  
Could you be the one I need?_

Take for granted  
How much I care (How much I care...)  
And appreciates that I'm there  
Someone who listens  
And someone I can call who isn't afraid of thought to share

The duo of voices was suddenly joined by three others and Amour sang in harmony, their voices reverberating through the stadium. Lacus twirled across the stage, standing by each of the other band members for a while before moving on, and finally ending up by the piano again.

_  
Is it you? Is it you?  
Maybe you're the one I've been waiting for  
Could you be the one for me?  
Could you be the one I need?  
_

Lacus lowered her mike and stood by Miriallia, stepping side to side in time to the beat. When she looked up at the balcony, she saw Kira still there. And was that a grin on his lips? Lacus couldn't resist herself; she raised her hand and waved at the brunette.

For a moment, Kira stood frozen, then he lifted a hand tentatively and waved back. Not the kind of large, dramatic wave, but a small, rather shy, hesitant, discreet but incredibly cute wave. He gave her a thumbs-up sign and flashed a very cute grin.

Miriallia hit the last note on the piano, and the crowd erupted. The fans surged towards the stage. "So," Cagalli sauntered by and stopped close to Lacus who was touching the fans' hands. "Something caught your eye when you were singing?" Lacus turned and stared at her. She winked at Lacus and shifted her amber eyes to the second level. "My bro's cute, isn't he?" Cagalli laughed, nudging her and left the sentence to hang.

Kira was on the second level balcony seats. He saw the fans run to the edge of the stage, screaming. Saw her bend down to touch their hands. Saw her pink hair fall over the loop of her left ear and shroud half of her face like a silk curtain. She had waved to him. Waved. To. Him.

Him... of all people... He felt like he was about to dissolve into the clouds. "Wow, she sounds fantastic." He murmured to himself.

"Someone's in love..." Dearka teased in a sing-song fashion, brushing past Kira purposefully. Kira threw him a glare and elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't sprout nonsense," He chided softly, "She's Athrun's fiancée!" He cast a glance at Athrun who was relaxing in the couch, drumming his fingers on the table in rhythm to the blasting music.

"Talking about fiancées, I can't believe you didn't tell us you're going to get married." Shinn groused, swinging his legs up onto the table, "What kind of a friend are you?" "It's an arranged marriage," Athrun replied pointedly, shoving Shinn's feet off the table, "We were childhood friends. Anyway, I don't think we're getting married anytime soon." Shinn cocked an eyebrow at Athrun in disbelief, and began gazing around bored, until his eyes settled on Kira.

"So," He drawled and turned to face the vocalist, "How come we never knew you had a sister? What kind of a friend are you?" Kira shrugged in response. "You never asked if I had one."

Shinn frowned hard at the girls on stage as he ran a hand through his jet-black hair. "I don't know... She's blonde, and you're not," He said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, like he was analyzing something very difficult, "Her eyes are amber, and yours are not. She's definitely a spitfire, and you... you're a big softie. Are you sure you're both from the same parents? I mean..."

A cushion sailed through the air and whacked him hard on the head, interrupting him. He yelped, spinning around to glare at Athrun, "What the h-" He stopped when he saw Athrun glowering at him, his right hand making an urgent zipping motion in front of his lips. '_Shut up._' Athrun mouthed, his emerald eyes staring him down fiercely. Shinn was ready to make his counterattack when he realized what he had said to Kira. He risked a glance at the brunette and saw him still leaning against the window frame, no difference in his posture aside from his ramrod-straight back. Tension cackled through the room.

Kira was one of the most easy-going people Shinn had ever met. He was bright and joyous, and he could joke with the rest of the band, yet he was always in control when the rest of them had gone wild. This was why everyone respected him to a certain extent. But for as long as Shinn had known him, there was one topic they could never broach to him, and that was Kira's_ parents..._

He was about to mutter an apology when Kira turned slowly to face the rest of the band. An uneasy smile crept to his lips, "What? Never heard of fraternal twins?" He laughed softly. Shinn took the hint, and began to laugh too. But all of them knew Kira too well. The theory: Kira always keeps things to himself, but when he is on the verge of losing control of those emotions, he brushes them off, even if he knows that holding back will eventually destroy him.

* * *

_Saturday, 10.51pm_

_Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, backstage_

"Well done, everyone, well done!" Murrue clapped as she entered the backstage area. They all turned to look at her, then exchanged grins and high-fives. "Fantastic job tonight!" Mu agreed as he appeared behind Murrue.

Amour and Liebe were lounging in the backstage, sprawled all over the backstage area after an exhausting night's concert.

"Be at the backdoor in 10 minutes. We'll go arrange for the band buses to be there," Murrue beamed at them and went out again. Mu winked once and turned on his heels, running after Murrue's retreating back.

Almost instantly, chaos burst through the door and exploded in the backstage area. Meyrin flew towards Luna and nearly knocked her over while Flay threw herself at Kira. "Sis!" Meyrin exclaimed, hugging Luna tightly.

Sai, Kuzzey and Meer strolled in after them.

"Hey, Lacus!" Meer called out and walked over to stand beside her. They were cousins, but they looked almost alike. Lacus didn't reply. She was staring, somewhat shocked at the red-haired girl who was covering Kira's face with smooches.

"Flay!" He protested, trying to push her off him. He was flushed red from embarrassment. Finally Flay sat up and allowed Kira to brush her off him.

After that, they all stood and stared at each other, waiting for introductions. Luna went first. "This is Meyrin," She said, gesturing at her, "She's my younger sister." Meyrin waved at the guys and Kira smiled, "Nice to meet you." The rest of the guys grunted in response. Then her eyes fell on the guy beside Kira, the one with blue hair and she blushed, waving at him shyly. He smiled at her, and Meyrin thought she would melt.

Then Lacus introduced Meer. "Oh my god!" Meer whispered at Lacus when she saw Athrun, "That's _the_ Athrun Zala, isn't he? Wow, you're lucky to have him!" Lacus jabbed her with her elbow and looked away hurriedly. She shifted her gaze and stared at the red-haired girl who had her arms looped around Kira's.

"Uh... this is Flay," Kira introduced. "I'm Kira's girlfriend!" She added, smiling up at Kira who swallowed and gave a weak smile. "No... actually..." He began but Flay cut in, "He's just shy!"

Lacus didn't know what to say, so she just forced a nod and turned to Kira. "So, catch you around sometime?" She smiled. Kira returned her smile, "Of course. It's been a pleasure to meet you..." Then he looked surprised by what he had said, and flustered, began to correct himself, "I mean, it's been a pleasure to meet _all_ of you... Most popular girl band, you know. It's not everyday you get to meet them, and work with them! Even if it happened because of a screw-up... So, of course, the pleasure's all ours... you know..."

Dearka came close and brushed past Kira. "Time to shut up, lover boy," He whispered, grinning, "You're making yourself sound like a total idiot." Kira blushed tomato red, and ducked his head, pretending he hadn't heard that. Lacus couldn't help giggling. She didn't think that the lively vocalist she had seen on stage could turn out to be such a shy guy. Not that she minded...

"Well, it's been really great working with all of you too." She replied, then she felt obliged to add, "See you around... Kira."

The brunette glanced up, surprised. But she had already turned. He watched Lacus heading out of the door of the backstage area. He didn't know why, but he seemed to like her. Not the same way he liked Flay or Cagalli. It was a different kind of 'like'. The kind that made you feel so cool and light that you thought you were floating in the clouds, and yet made you so warm that you realized you were still on earth, being watched by her, and you couldn't stop blushing. And boy was it hard to look into her eyes. Every time he did, he felt as though he was sinking.

He caught himself and shook his head, almost laughing out loud at his own silliness. A loud clap on his back shocked him out of his wits. "Well, see ya later, little bro." Cagalli winked at him and turned, running out of the door with the rest of the girls.

Kira just smiled, shaking his head at his sister's antics, before glancing at Athrun who gestured at the door. Nodding, he trooped out after Amour.

* * *

_Saturday, 11.03pm_

_In the "Amour" Band Bus_

The band bus rumbled all the way.

Lacus was in the seat at the window and she was staring out at the streaking scenery. "Hey!" Her attention snapped back into the bus as Cagalli bounced on the seat in front of her. The blonde was eyeing her with a mischievous look.

"What's wrong?" She blurted out.

"You." Cagalli laughed, "You're what's wrong. You've been smiling to yourself ever since we left the stadium."

Lacus glanced away from Cagalli and saw everyone else looking at her, with similar smiles on their faces.

"I'm not." She denied, even though she knew her objection was weak.

Cagalli cocked an eyebrow at her. "Just be careful. Smiling to yourself is fine. But don't drool," She grinned, "Even though he_ is_ incredibly cute." She clambered off the seat and winked at Lacus before returning to her initial task of annoying Shiho by placing her feet on the table.

Lacus pretended she didn't know what Cagalli was talking about. She looked off of the window again and saw Kira's face at the back of her mind. She couldn't help smiling to herself.

* * *

_Saturday, 11.06pm_

_In the "Liebe" Band Bus_

"So, what's going on in that head of yours?" Dearka planted himself in the chair, right in front of Kira, who was at the table trying to drink a cup of hot cocoa without spilling it all over himself because of the jerking motion of the bus.

"What?" Kira asked bluntly, frowning.

"You know 'what'." Dearka grinned. "In fact, we all know 'what'."

Kira rolled his eyes. "Stop that 'what' business and get to the point."

"Okay," Shinn said, barging into their conversation, "what do you plan to do with her?"

Kira almost coughed out his drink all over Dearka and Shinn. "What 'her'?" He asked, his voice weak.

"You know, _her_."

"Will you stop that? I don't know who you're talking about. Get to the point."

"Okay, what do you plan to do with '_Lacus Clyne'_?"

Hot cocoa spewed out as Kira choked on his beverage. Dearka leaned back while Shinn dodged to the side in time. "What?" Kira spluttered, wiping his lips with the back of his hand as he choked and coughed. Dearka and Shinn were looking at him with their eyebrows raised and smirks on their faces.

"Will you leave him alone?" Athrun sighed, coming over with a box of tissues and handing it to Kira who accepted it gratefully and set about wiping the table.

"Oh come on, Athrun. Don't you want to know what Kira thinks of your fiancée?" Shinn laughed.

Kira tossed the wad of tissues into the trash bin and glared at them. "There's nothing going on. She's Athrun's fiancée, for heaven's sake!"

Dearka and Shinn rolled their eyes, bored by his response.

"You know, if you like her, you can ask her out..." Athrun said. The three of them turned and stared at Athrun like he was crazy. Athrun smiled at Kira. "It's an arranged marriage from long ago. Something to do with our dads' businesses. But it's been so long, and no one's said anything about us getting married. Besides, all along, Lacus and I have always seen each other as siblings, not lovers."

Kira just stared at him, dumbfounded.

"So, you mean you'll give her up to Kira?" Dearka asked, scratching his head.

"Sure. It seems as though she has feelings for you too." Athrun winked at Kira, "So go ahead. I don't mind. Between us, it's just sibling love, nothing more."

Kira still looked shocked and surprised.

"Oh yeah! You've got a chance, Kira." Shinn thumped him on the back. Kira looked at him, confused and perplexed.

"He needs a translation..." Dearka sighed.

"Athrun means, in one syllables, 'Ask. Her. Out.' " Shinn held Kira's head in both hands as he said it, and he kept holding on, until he saw understanding flood into his amethyst eyes.

"Really?" Kira whipped around to look at Athrun who nodded, smiling. "Wow..." Kira murmured in disbelief, turning to look out of the band bus' window. He remembered seeing Lacus waving at him...

* * *

_Author's note: Hey! So, how was this chapter? Can you sense Kira and Lacus' relationship taking a turn? Oh well, more about K x L in the next chapter! So please review! All criticisms are accepted too, so please, please review! And thank you so much to everyone who reviewed for chapter one and two! _

_By the way, if you would like to listen to the songs used in this chapter, you can check out the website in my profile. You can find the lyrics and songs in that website which I created myself. Enjoy! _

_Thanks for reading and please do check back for chapter 4._


	5. Chapter 4: Tyical Morning

Author's note: Hiya. Here's the next chapter of Rhythm of Love. What will happen now that the concert with Amour and Liebe is over? Will things settle down? Or will chaos ensue? Read on to find out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny and the characters.

**Chapter Four: Typical Morning at Amour and Liebe's.**

C.E. 70, 2 July

_Sunday, 7.14am_

_Mu and Murrue's apartment, kitchen_

Murrue unfolded the newspapers and leaned back into her chair with a sigh and a mug of steaming hot coffee. She browsed through the newspapers. There didn't seem to be much going on. The first few pages were about boring political affairs and updated news of the football tournament. Absently, she removed the sports section and slid it across the table for Mu. It was then that she saw the _big news_, the one that took up 50 per cent of the whole stack of newspapers. Today's headlines – Amour and Liebe's recent concert, accompanied with tones of gossip and huge, enormous blown-up photos so big she could see the individual hairs of their eyebrows. She put her mug back on the kitchen table untouched and sat up straight, instantly alert.

_**The "Most Popular" concert of the century – Amour + Liebe?**_

_Reporter Josephine Lara and Michelle Leon, Orb – _

"_Most Popular Girl Band" Amour and "Most Popular Boy Band" Liebe came together yesterday night and performed the most whopping concert of the century!_

_Fans were astonished when manager of Amour, Murrue Ramius, manager of Liebe, Mu La Flaga and owner of Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, Andrew Waltfield addressed the crowd an hour and a half before the start of the concert to announce that there were surprises in store. Shocking news was that both Amour and Liebe fans were gathered at the same location, waiting anxiously to watch their favourite band perform. Unexpectedly, both groups of fans were treated to an astounding concert held by both Amour and Liebe, winners of this year's of Battle of the Bands – "Most Popular Band"._

_The unforeseen concert lasted three and a half hours and fans were screaming mad. Both bands presented their latest songs and performed alternately throughout the concert. Fans were delighted and thrilled as they were entertained by the greatest hits of both renowned bands._

_Liebe fan Janet Morris said, "I think that was simply awesome! I've always been a Liebe fan, but now I love Amour too! Amour and Liebe rock!" Other fans too appear to share Morris' view of yesterday night's concert. An Amour fan, who chooses to remain anonymous, stated, "I hope Amour and Liebe merge! I totally support the idea! It'll be so cool!"_

_International Surveys hosted an online questionnaire that started at midnight yesterday, less than two hours after the concert. Within three hours, International Surveys received over five thousand surveyors. 65 per cent of all surveyors stated that they were eager for Amour and Liebe to combine. 10 per cent stated that they liked the idea of merger. _

_Co-owner of Orb's Grand Sports Stadium, Aisha, told us over the phone from Paris where she is on business, "I'm not in Orb currently, but I watched the live broadcast of the concert and I have only one word to describe it. Spectacular! I mean, two of the most popular bands holding a concert together. What more can you expect?" When asked about the probability of a merger, Aisha giggled. "Well, we don't know about that. That's entirely Amour and Liebe's decision. What do you know? Maybe they really will merge. Then it's most probable that they will dominate the music industry! But most importantly, I think they have excellent rapport. Based on what I saw, I think both bands have what it takes to come together and form one great, great band. I think fans will go wild if they hear about that_._ Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that. A merger may boost their popularity and win them more fans and attention. Plus some of the band members already have connections and relationships, so it wouldn't be very hard for them to come together, would it?"_

_The long-awaited concerts of Amour and Liebe are both over, but what fans are waiting for right now, is to see if Amour and Liebe will come together one more time, or better yet... will they merge?_

Murrue stared at the news article, her mouth agape. Unbelievable. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of that.

Faint whistling drifted into the kitchen, followed closely by footsteps and Mu strolled into the kitchen. "Mmm... eggs and bacon," He said when he noticed the breakfast plate. He plopped down into the seat, shoved a spoonful of eggs into his mouth and reached for the sports section. "Newspapers and coffee too," He grinned, his voice muffled through the eggs. Just as he had touched the corner of the sports section Murrue had laid out for him, Murrue's hand slammed down on it, preventing him from pulling it away and she rammed the newspaper she was reading into his face. "Read this!" She shrieked.

Mu peeled the newspapers off his face and gave her a half-hearted glare. "What's the matter with you?" He groused, "I bet there's nothing special in here... Ooh, is that Liebe?" He opened the newspapers excitedly and sped through the article.

He glanced up when he had finished, and there was that dazed, unbelievable look on his face. Murrue was beaming at him, her face red from exaltation. "So?" She said, nodding eagerly, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Mu smirked in response. "Depends on what you're thinking..."

* * *

Sunday, 7.30am

_The "Liebe" apartment_

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Athrun turned over and whacked his hand down on the digital clock. He yawned loudly and shifted back onto his side. "Kira... wake up..." He grunted. There was a moan, and nothing else. "Kira!" Athrun snapped. He snagged a pillow and tossed it over his shoulder without looking. The muffled groan told him that the cushion had hit its target. Then he heard scuffling and he knew Kira was awake. So job done, he went straight back to blissful sleep.

Kira sighed, sat up slowly and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He slipped his feet into his slippers and stood up hazily. Then shuffled out of the bedroom and headed for the kitchen, still half asleep.

Everyday experience led him straight into the kitchen successfully without ramming into any doors or bumping into any walls. Being the first to wake up every single day had that kind of effect.

In the kitchen, he set the coffee machine to work and wandered around the kitchen, grabbing plates and mugs. He placed the frying pan on the stove and cracked five eggs into it. Fried the bacon. Toasted ten slices of bread.

And dunked his face into cold tap water to wake himself up.

He ladled his arms with all five plates and made his way to the dining area. Laid the table with rapid precision and speed. Then he headed back to the bedroom to begin his most difficult task of the morning – waking a bunch of sleepy-heads.

First thing he did was to flick the lights on. And duck the pillows thrown by his annoyed housemates. "Wake up, guys," He called, "Breakfast is sitting on the table, waiting _excitedly_ to be devoured. Can you bear to make it wait?" He walked down the row of beds with its occupants still burrowed underneath the covers. He tugged at blankets and pulled at any uncovered limb he could see. All he got was a feeble groan from Athrun, a stinging slap from Shinn, a frustrated shove from Dearka and a furious "_Leave me alone!_" from Yzak, accompanied by a rib-cracking punch.

He stood in a corner of the room and crossed his arms, surveying the motionless lumps prone on the beds. Sighing in exasperation, he stalked out and returned to the kitchen where he grabbed two frying pans from the sink and stomped back into the bedroom, standing in the doorway. He cleared his throat tentatively in preparation.

"Damn it! The fan girls broke in! They're swarming the bedroom! My god!" He added earsplitting clashes to his shouts by banging the frying pans together and against the wall.

Within seconds, the previously immobile lumps had shot up. The guys dashed towards the door and pushed their way out of the bedroom, shrieking. Kira got shoved left and right and ended up sprawled against the wall while the guys scrabbled and clambered over one another into the hallway. Kira rolled his eyes, traced their footsteps out of the bedroom and deposited the frying pans in the sink. He came out of the kitchen just in time to see the guys come to a sudden halt at the door of the apartment. Momentum made it difficult to stop and the guys were skidding on the polished floor. They ended up hurtling into the door, crushing an unfortunate Shinn underneath.

"Morning," Kira smiled pleasantly, as though watching his friends smashing into doors was a completely normal affair. He picked his way through the bodies lying on the floor, ignoring the groans and 'ow's purposefully. "Careful, guys. Don't damage the door please." He said, running a hand along the surface of the wooden door experimentally.

"No problem, Kira. Don't you worry about _me_. I'm_ fine. _My _head_ broke the fall." Shinn snapped sarcastically, glaring up at Kira from where he lay on the floor. "Oh, somebody woke up on the wrong side of bed," Kira teased, reaching down to pull Shinn to his feet. "I think I woke up on the wrong side of the Earth," Dearka said, "I can't tell whether you're up or down..." He was gazing at Kira upside down, his legs propped up against the wall. Kira rolled his eyes and helped to pick his band mates up. "You've got to stop doing that, Kira," Athrun winced, rubbing his head, "It's not entirely pleasant to get shocked out of sleep like that." "And it's not entirely pleasant to get slapped and shoved about when I'm trying to wake you guys up," Kira countered. He sighed, "Come on, guys, breakfast time!"

_

* * *

_

Sunday, 7.30am

_The "Amour" apartment_

The digital clock was bleeping relentlessly. The five prone figures on the beds shifted and rolled simultaneously, but only one sat up.

Lacus rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned. She clapped a hand down on the shrieking digital clock and there was silence again. Half asleep, she inched her feet into fluffy slippers. She reached blindly towards a nearby couch where five robes were draped over. Caught one and slipped her right arm in. It was a very loose fit. Wrong robe... She tossed the robe back over the couch and cracked an eye open. She identified the pink silk of her own robe and seized it. Closing her eye again, she dozed while wrapping the robe around her. Then she got off the bed and shuffled towards the light switch, flicking the lights on.

There were aggravated moans. The figure on the furthermost bed sat up and the blankets slipped away to reveal a mob of disheveled dark brown hair. The bed beside Shiho's rocked and Miriallia crept out from underneath the covers, her eyes blinking in the glare. Lunamaria grabbed the pillow from under her head and buried her face underneath it. Finally, the last stationary lump moved and Cagalli tumbled out of bed. She plopped down on the floor and gazed up at Lacus through half-lidded eyes.

"Come on, girls. Wake up," Lacus sighed, clapping her hands, "We've got to prepare breakfast and make the beds." The only reply she got was a series of confused frowns and tired groans. Lacus gathered the robes on the couch and walked down the row of beds, tossing the girls their individual robes. No one made a move to get up. They just sat, or lay spread out over the bed (and floor, in Cagalli's case) with their eyes still closed.

Lacus shook her head, running a hand through her ruffled pink locks. She tugged at the pillow Luna held over her head. "Come on, Luna. Get up!" She called. She striped the covers off Luna, hauled her up and left her sitting on the bed, slouched over. Then she turned to Shiho, who wasn't visible because the robe had landed on her head and she was sitting motionless, with the silk draped over her. Lacus pulled the piece of clothing off the brunette and shook her shoulder. "Wake up," She repeated. A muffled thud made her turn around and she saw that Luna had collapsed back on the bed. Lacus sighed, exasperated.

Gripping Shiho and Luna's arms, she dragged them both out of bed simultaneously. Before they could fall asleep again, she shoved the robes into their arms and bundled them out of the bedroom, pushing them out into the hallway. Then she turned back to Miriallia and Cagalli. She stuffed the blonde into her robe and towed the brunette out from under the covers. Hastily, she heaved both her roommates out of the room. She wandered down the hallway with Cagalli and Miriallia shuffling behind her, and into the kitchen area, where she found Shiho napping against the counter and Luna slumped in a kitchen chair. She entered the kitchen and turned around just in time to direct Miriallia and Cagalli _through_ the kitchen door. The girls had a habit of walking with their eyes closed in the morning, which more often than not resulted in some nasty accidents and painful crashes into the glass panels of the kitchen entrance.

She left the girls sprawling all over the kitchen and flung open the refrigerator. Fished for the sealed bowl of pancake batter she had made the day before. "We'll have pancakes for breakfast today," Lacus announced cheerfully. There was no response, but she wasn't expecting one in the first place. She got an egg whisk, took the batter and plopped the bowl in front of Miriallia. "Could you help me whip the batter, please?" Lacus said. The brunette blinked, confused, then nodded sleepily. She took the spatula from Lacus and began to whisk the pancake batter, with her eyes closed.

Lacus left her at it and busied herself with retrieving the maple syrup. "Cagalli, put the pan on the stove, please," She instructed, without turning to look at the rest of the girls. "Luna, could you get the oil? And Shiho, you deal with the milk, alright?" There were muffled replies and weary shuffles all around the kitchen as the girls separated and went about with their chores.

Half an hour later, they had a plate heaped full of pancakes and five glasses of cold milk. Miriallia carried five plates to the dining area, while Shiho and Luna retrieved the cutleries and Cagalli and Lacus lugged the pancakes and milk.

_

* * *

_

Sunday, 8.46am

_The "Liebe" apartment_

Athrun stretched, grinning. "I'm full," He declared happily, "That was a great breakfast, Kira." Shinn and Dearka agreed while Yzak merely grunted (which was actually equivalent to a "Yes, I agree"). The brunette smiled in response to the compliments and downed the last of his coffee.

Yzak stood up and began to gather the dishes. He glared at Dearka who remained seated. "If I recall correctly, you're supposed to help me with the dishes," He snapped. Dearka just grinned at him, "No, that's your job." "Then what's yours?" Yzak glowered. "Athrun's job is to wake Kira. Kira's job is to cook and wake us. Your job is to do the dishes. My job is to _enjoy the food_." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone, the obnoxious smirk still on his face. Yzak whacked him on the head and thrust a couple of dirty dishes into his arms. "Help me, or I'll put _you_ in the dishwasher." Yzak growled. Dearka just laughed and carried the dishes to the kitchen sink.

Shinn sighed at the racket, stood up, stretched and trudged off to the bathroom. Kira and Athrun exchanged a helpless glance and sat at the dining table for a minute or two, chatting idly to waste some time. Then they traced Shinn's footsteps and went into the bathroom. Shinn was already in the shower, and the toothbrushes were already laid out on the shelf, complete with toothpaste and glasses of water alongside each brush.

Kira wiped off the steam on the mirror with his palm while Athrun handed him his toothbrush. Sometime later, Dearka and Yzak joined them and there was the typical squabbling over the sink. As usual, at some point of time, Shinn thrust his hand out and Dearka passed a towel over to him and one by one, the guys got into the bath for an early morning shower.

_

* * *

_

Sunday, 8.49am

_The "Amour" apartment_

"Why couldn't we sleep in for a while more?" Cagalli groaned, stabbing her fork into a pancake harshly. "Sleeping in messes with our schedule," Lacus pointed out. "But lack of sleep messes with our complexion," Luna groused. Shiho nodded and added, "Such as having eye bags."

Lacus and Miriallia looked at each other helplessly and just shook their heads. Lacus finished the last of her milk and began to collect the plates. The girls followed suit and together, they helped to carry the dirty dishes into the kitchen and dump them in the sink. Miriallia and Cagalli ran the water into the sink and set about scrubbing the dishes. Shiho squirted the detergent on the dishes and rinsed them clean before handing them to Lacus, who dried them with a clean washcloth. Luna was standing on a high stool and Lacus passed her dishes to be put away in the closet.

While Shiho, Miriallia and Cagalli cleaned the surrounding area of the sink, Lacus and Luna wiped the dining table off. Then they trooped off to the single bathroom of the apartment.

The sink wasn't large, so they had to crowd around, packed tight against the white ceramic. Shiho, who was closest to the cabinet, opened it and dug out the toothbrushes and the tube of toothpaste. They passed the toothbrushes and toothpaste and began to brush their teeth. Not all the girls could stand at the sink since they would jab each other with their elbows, so in the end, they wandered all over the bathroom, sitting on the toilet, or the edge of the bathtub.

Then one by one, they got into the shower and performed several of their greatest hit songs with Luna tapping out the rhythm on the white ceramic tiles.

_

* * *

_

Sunday, 9.36am

_The "Liebe" apartment_

The guys were relaxing in the lounge. Yzak was reclining on a couch, reading a novel while Dearka lay sprawled across the carpet, poring through a magazine. A guitar was in Athrun's hands and he was leaning in a corner of the room, belting out one of Liebe's recent hits. Kira was busy with the dried laundry and he was sorting them on the sofa, dividing them into five piles. Shinn sat on the armrest, swinging his legs, watching Kira casually.

An early Sunday morning. There was nothing much to do, especially after having had a concert the previous night. So basically, the guys had the day off and Kira would busy himself with the household chores. Not that there was a lot to be done around the apartment. Mu had engaged a house-keeper who would clean the apartment four times a week and bring the groceries. But the laundry was still the guys' jobs, which in other words, meant Kira's job.

Bored, Shinn turned around and clambered up onto the sofa, careful not to mess up the piles of clothing. There was a full-length glass wall behind the sofa and he leaned over the top of the couch to pry apart the curtains. Sunday morning, bright and sunny. No hint of bad weather. Across from their apartment was a low block that consisted of the grocery shops, post offices and such. There was a swarm of people outside. Sunday crowd? _Maybe_, Shinn thought. But they didn't seem to be going about with their business. They were just standing there, looking at the block of apartments Liebe was staying in.

Shinn leaned further out to take a look. And suddenly, he drew the curtains fast, his face completely pale. The scrape of the curtains made the other guys lift their heads to stare at him. "What's wrong with you?" Kira poked him in the ribs curiously. The black-haired drummer of Liebe turned around and gaped at his band mates. "There's an ocean of fans down there..." He whispered, shocked. The other guys just stared at him unbelievingly.

"Come on, there are always fans waiting downstairs for us. But an 'ocean'?" Dearka laughed. "I'm serious!" Shinn snapped. He pulled aside the curtains again and shifted away, so that Kira could see. The clothing in Kira's hands dropped when he saw what Shinn had seen.

There was a mob flocking the entire street just below their ninth storey apartment. Eighty per cent were screaming girls with waving banners and Liebe T-shirts. They jammed the doorway of the block of apartments and stretched all the way across the street to the grocery stores and down both ends of the road. "You've got to be kidding me," Athrun muttered from behind Kira as all the guys crowded on the sofa.

All of a sudden, a girl in the crowd was pointing straight at them and within an instant, the entire crowd was gawking at the ninth storey, watching the five guys at the window. They couldn't hear anything, but there must have been a deafening explosion of cheers and screams down below because there was a burst of sudden activity and excitement in the crowd. Shinn and Kira hurriedly drew the curtains and all five guys stumbled off the sofa and retreated away from the glass wall. They pressed themselves against the wall on the opposite side of the room and exchanged a helpless glance.

_

* * *

_

Sunday, 9.36am

_The "Amour" apartment_

Sunday morning. A lazy, boring morning with nothing to do.

Miriallia was sitting on the table in the lounge, plaiting Shiho's long hair while Shiho sat on the chair, browsing through a fashion magazine. Luna was doing yoga in the middle of the lounge, standing on one leg on a spread out mat. Cagalli was watching the morning news on the television, while Lacus bustled around the lounge, dusting the shelves. The house-keeper Murrue had hired for them came only on weekdays, so the week-end chores had to be done by the girls. The apartment was already very clean, so nothing much had to be done, but Lacus didn't like sitting around doing nothing, so she busied herself with dusting and cleaning.

Cagalli drummed her fingers on the armrest of the couch, bored. The news reporter was discussing the updated football tournament results and though Cagalli was the sportiest among the girls, she wasn't very interested. So she ended up watching Lacus zip past the television repeatedly with the feather-duster.

"-_and right now, we are reporting live from the street of "Most Popular Girl Band" Amour's apartment._"

Cagalli whipped her head around to stare at the television. The other girls froze and stopped what they were doing. All eyes were on the TV.

"-_Since 7am this morning, the street has been packed with Amour fans and traffic has been obstructed by the enormous crowd. The concert last night by both Amour and Liebe has sparked particular interest and taken the music world by storm. Fans have been moping the area below the Amour apartment, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars. However, none of the Amour stars have made an appearance yet. Marie Allens, reporting live…_"

There was utter silence in the lounge. Complete, shocked silence. Broken only when the magazine in Shiho's hands fell onto the floor in an explosion of papers. The girls exchanged desperate glances.

_

* * *

_

Author's note: So, how was this chapter? Exciting? Boring? Please review. All criticisms are accepted too. So, please please review! Much more to come in the next chapter – Mu and Murrue approach both bands with the idea of a merger but will Amour and Liebe agree? Or will it be an all out battle of the sexes?


	6. Chapter 5: House Arrest

Author's note: Hello one and all! I'm back from an extremely long break. Here's Chapter 5 of Rhythm of Love! Ooh, I think I've lost my touch in writing. I hope this chapter isn't too disappointing… Cross your fingers!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny or any of their characters. 

**Chapter Five: House Arrest!**

_C.E. 70, 3 July_

_Monday, 11.43am_

_The "Amour" apartment_

The phone rang.

For the thirteenth time.

Cagalli threw down her book and growled. She slammed her fist onto the bottom of the receiver and caught it in her hand when it sprung up. "WHAT?" She screamed into the phone.

"_C-Cagalli?_" The feeble reply rasped through the phone.

"Kira?" Cagalli frowned, "Were you the one calling since morning?"

"_No! Of course not! That's not me! Oh please, how can it be me? Why would I do that? Seriously, I haven't got so much time on my hands, if you know what I mean... Plus phone bills are expensive, you know. Well, of course you know. Why wouldn't you? So it wasn't..._"

"Kira!" Cagalli snapped, breaking the torrent of words spewing out of the phone. "Why have you been calling us for... 13 times in 3 hours?"

"_I did not..._"

"Kira, you splutter and babble when you lie."

"_I don't..._"

"Just tell me what you want! You've been calling and cutting the line off before any of us can say anything past the word 'hello'! Lacus has been picking up the phone so many times that she's sick of it! Just what do you want?"

"_I don't want anything. I mean, there's nothing I need. It's just... just... I wanted to call you out... to... uh... tea? You know, tea? I'm not looking for anyone else, especially not Lacus. I mean, why would I call her out? No reason... Definitely not a date or something..."_

Cagalli almost laughed out loud. "A date?" She said in disbelief, "Do you mean to tell me, that my shy brother is coming out of his shell, and wants to ask a girl out?"

"_No!_"

"Okay, that means a 'yes'," Cagalli grinned obnoxiously. She was never going to get tired of teasing Kira about this. She leaned back and reclined in the arm chair. "So, how're you going to ask her out? Surely not by calling endlessly but not saying anything when she picks up the phone!"

The other end of the phone was silent for a moment before the voice whispered weakly. "_I don't know..._"

Cagalli rolled her eyes. "Look, just tell her you want to invite her out to what? Tea? Kind of strange, but it'll do. She's a simple girl! Now, don't hang up, I'll get her for you."

"_NO! Cagalli! Wait!_"

The blonde stood up and dropped the phone where she had been sitting. She could still hear the frantic squealing on the other side of the phone. Grinning, she headed for the kitchen of the apartment the girls were sharing.

Lacus was baking muffins and she had just placed them into the oven when she entered. "Lacus, phone for you," She called out, dipping a finger into the mixing bowl to scoop out some of the remains. Lacus frowned, wiping her hands on her apron. "The phone? Again? It's been ringing all morning, but there's no one."

"There is someone this time." Cagalli grinned, beckoning to her, "Hurry now! You don't want to miss it, trust me!"

Lacus strolled out of the kitchen hastily and when her back was turned, Cagalli looked at the rest of the girls and whispered, "Prince Charming is here to claim his princess."

"Oh wow!" Miriallia exclaimed, "Kira called?"

Cagalli smirked in response.

"I've got to see this!"

Cagalli, Miriallia, Shiho and Luna made a rush for the lounge. Lacus had just picked up the phone. "Hello, Lacus speaking... Hello? Um... is someone there? Hello? Hello?"

The girls groaned and Cagalli buried her face in both hands. If Kira wasn't her brother, and she wasn't so keen on keeping him in one piece for her best friend, she swore she would skewer him alive…

_Tuesday, 12.16pm_

_The "Liebe" apartment_

Athrun propped his chin on a hand and kept his gaze fixed on Kira.

"That's another unsuccessful attempt," sighed Shinn who dropped his head and banged his forehead against the counter in front of him.

"That's right," Dearka crowed, "Now, pay up!"

Shinn rolled his eyes and plucked a note out of his wallet, slapping it into Dearka's outstretched hand, pretending that he didn't care that he had lost the bets thirteen times straight.

Athrun flicked an absurd glance at them and returned to watching Kira. The brunette was staring at the phone. He was mumbling. To himself or to the phone, Athrun didn't know.

Ever since the fans had decided to camp outside their apartment, Mu had instructed the guys to stay in the house until he found a way to sort things out. Having spent the whole of yesterday doing nothing, Athrun had convinced Kira to give Lacus a call and ask her out. So since morning, Kira had already planted himself in front of the phone. He picked up the receiver, paused for a second and returned it to its cradle. This maneuver had repeated itself every 10 minutes and had continued on for 3 hours. As for the time in between, Kira had either spent it muttering to himself or to the phone, rehearsing his meticulously planned lines, or pacing a hole in the carpet.

Despite having downed 3 cups of coffee while watching him, Athrun was getting tired from Kira's level of nervous energy.

He pushed himself away from the kitchen counter and moved towards Kira. "It's a disaster, Athrun. I CAN'T ask her out!" Kira threw his hands up in despair when he noticed his best friend approaching. "I suck at this. She's not going to agree. She probably doesn't even like me! I should just give it up. For all I know, she probably doesn't even _remember_ me!"

Athrun couldn't help rolling his eyes. He decided not to point out to Kira that it had been only a day since they had seen Amour and it was highly unlikely that Lacus would have forgotten him. Instead, he just leaned against the wall, opposite from the distraught boy and sighed, "Kira, you haven't even told her about your feelings. You don't know what she thinks."

"She wouldn't like me!"

"You haven't even tried."

"I don't need to. I know she's not going to agree to whatever I ask her out to."

"Kira..."

"Don't 'kira' me! I just can't do this."

"Yes you can. Just go up to her, grab her and kiss her." Dearka chirped, plopping down on the couch across from Kira. Kira just stared at him like he was crazy. "Ignore him," Athrun said pointedly, "Why don't you talk to her? Just ask her if she's interested to go out with you."

"That's what Cagalli asked me to do." Kira replied sullenly, then blushed, "But I freaked out when I heard Lacus' voice..." Dearka made a dramatic gesture of falling out of his seat in disbelief. Athrun shot him a glare and turned back to Kira. "How about you write her a note?" He asked.

Shinn sauntered over. "I asked him to write one," he said, gesturing at an untidy pile of papers covering the coffee table, "But his hand was shaking too much."

"Well, how about sending her a bunch of flowers or gift or something? To show her that you have feelings for her?" Athrun suggested again.

"Stop putting stupid ideas in his head," Yzak strolled nonchalantly into the room, "Here's a great suggestion, and this is what he should be doing. Get into the kitchen and prepare lunch."

"Shut up, Yzak." Athrun said, "You're not helping."

Kira grabbed the nearest cushion, buried his head in it and just wailed.

_Tuesday, 12.50pm_

_The "Amour" apartment_

"You mean, that really was Kira?" Lacus asked.

For the thirteenth time.

"Yes!" Cagalli, Luna, Miriallia and Shiho sighed in exasperation. Lacus smiled apologetically, blushing. "But it couldn't be. Kira wouldn't take any notice of me," She said, piling the dishes into the sink, "I mean, he knows Athrun's my supposed fiancé, so..."

"Maybe Athrun gave him the green light," Luna shrugged. Lacus looked seriously doubtful.

Just then, the phone rang again. Lacus looked at the rest of the girls, then turned away purposefully, busying herself with the dishes. Shiho nudged Cagalli and the blonde sighed, getting up from her seat and stomping over to the phone.

She picked up the receiver, placed it at her ear and just screamed into it. "Kira, you idiot! Why did you hang up? Do you have any idea how stupid that move was-"

"_I'm not Kira! I'm Athrun, you know, Athrun Zala? Guitarist of Liebe?_"

_Tuesday, 12.55pm_

_The "Liebe" apartment_

Athrun covered the phone receiver with one hand and risked a glance at the kitchen. Kira was still mumbling to himself at the sink as he dumped the dishes into it. He pointed at Dearka and motioned towards the kitchen. Dearka winked and nodded. He got up quietly and tiptoed to the kitchen where he took up his position as security guard and gave Athrun a salute.

Athrun uncovered the receiver again and spoke into it.

"Hi, Cagalli right? I think you know that Kira's been phoning your apartment since morning. He wants to ask Lacus out but he can't do it."

"_That's Kira, alright._"

Athrun grinned. "So, we were thinking if Lacus could call in instead? We know it's kind of weird for the girl to ask the guy out, but hell... we're talking about Kira. Truthfully, he might never have the guts to talk to Lacus until they're both old and their hair's graying."

There was a laugh on the other side of the line.

"_Sure. I know what you mean. I'll get Lacus to call in. Expect the princess' message to come in at 1.00._"

"Great. Thanks a lot... uh, Cagalli."

"_Yeah... sure, no problem... Athrun._"

The line went dead. Athrun glanced up at the expectant faces of Shinn and Dearka. "The princess's message is due to come in at 1.05," He smiled. "YES!" Dearka cheered, punching the air with his fist. Kira glanced back at them through the glass door of the kitchen with a puzzled look on his face. "Sorry," Shinn exclaimed, pushing Dearka to the ground, away from Kira's gaze. Kira just shook his head and turned back to the washing. Shinn spun back to look at Athrun and gave Dearka a high-five.

"YES!" They cheered in a whisper.

_Tuesday, 1.00pm_

_The "Liebe" apartment_

The phone rang exactly at 1.00pm. Athrun grasped the phone receiver and placed a finger at his lips to shush Shinn and Dearka. "Hello?" He said.

"_Hi, Athrun. Um... Cagalli told me to call in. To... Kira._"

"Yeah, I know."

"_So, you sure you don't mind? Me and Kira, that is..._"

"Of course not. I don't mind, Lacus. Seriously. Now, let's not waste time. Prince Charming is anxious. So go girl. Don't let him ride off!"

"_Well, alright."_

Athrun covered the receiver with a hand. "Kira, phone for you." He called. Shinn gave him a thumbs-up sign and whacked Dearka on the head when the blonde dissolved into giggles.

The brunette popped his head out from behind the kitchen door, a confused frown on his face. Athrun waved the phone at him and he stepped out into the living room, wiping his hands on the legs of his jeans. He took the phone receiver and lifted it to his ear. "Hello? Kira speaking."

"_Hello? Kira?_"

Kira froze when he recognized the sweet, melodious voice. And in a split second, he had tossed the receiver at Athrun, vanished out of the living room and the bathroom door slammed shut.

Athrun, Dearka and Shinn stared at the spot where Kira had been standing, their eyes wide as saucers. Unbelievable! Kira had never moved that fast.

"_Hello? Hello, Kira? Is anyone there?_"

Athrun tore himself out of his daze and picked up the receiver again. "I'm sorry, Lacus. Kira freaked out and locked himself in the bathroom."

"_Oh..._"

"Maybe I'll get him to call you back when he's more up to it?"

"_Uh, sure... Thanks, Athrun._"

"No problem."

Athrun replaced the phone receiver and exchanged a helpless glance with Shinn and Dearka. "He's incorrigible!" Shinn sighed.

_Tuesday, 1.07pm_

_The "Amour" apartment_

"Well? How was it?"

Lacus glanced up to see four girls grinning at her smugly. She shrugged and replaced the phone in its cradle. "Well," She sighed, "According to Athrun, Kira locked himself in the bathroom."

"He did WHAT?" Cagalli exploded. Lacus shrugged again and stood up. "Well, I guess I'll just get back to the dishes then… since Kira won't even talk to me…" She strolled off and disappeared into the kitchen. "Sheesh," Luna whispered, "Lacus sure looks disappointed. Seriously, what kind of brother do you have, Cagalli?"

Cagalli shot her a dirty look. "Well, a wimpy, idiotic dolt, that's what he is! And I swear, if he doesn't do anything soon, I'm going to be the only child, because I'll personally take him apart!"

_Tuesday, 2.00pm_

_The "Liebe" apartment_

"Oh man, what do we do now?"

The guys were huddled in the living room, Shinn, Athrun and Dearka clustered around the coffee table while Yzak lounged on the sofa, flicking through the channels on the tv with a bored, nonchalant expression on his face. They could see Kira in the kitchen, wiping the table down absentmindedly, something he had been doing for the past twenty minutes or so.

"If we don't stop him, he's going to scrub a hole in the table." Shinn whispered. Dearka frowned and glanced pointedly at Shinn. "Well, considering the stack of dishes he accidentally dropped, and the chair he broke after tripping over it, and the door handle he wrenched out, and the near decapitation I almost received from him swinging the vacuum cleaner, I guess a table with a hole in it would be the least of our problems."

Athrun sighed, dropping his chin onto his folded arms on the coffee table. "He's depressed, guys. Give him a break. At least he's destroying furniture and exterminating us, not hurting himself."

A loud bump caught their attention and heads whipped around to stare at the kitchen. Kira was rubbing the back of his head where he had knocked against the edge of the table when he had stooped to pick the cloth up. He was murmuring 'ows' as he disappeared into the laundry room.

"Okay," Athrun announced hastily, straightening up in his chair, "That's enough. We have got to do something before Kira gets himself killed while wallowing in his self-pity. Throw in your ideas, guys. What do you propose we do?" Shinn and Dearka grinned, brightening up at the news.

"Well," Dearka grinned slyly, propping his chin on a hand, "I say we call the girls in for an urgent meeting. Let's call it 'Operation Princess-claims-her-Prince-Charming'. I say, we find a way to arouse Kira's courage and make him go for it. Or worst case scenario, Lacus gives the green light. Sure, whole thing's going to turn out kind of odd, but at least they'll get together somehow, irregardless of who seems to be the man." Shinn looked thoughtful as he exchanged a glance with Athrun. "Well, I agree with Dearka, and I can't believe I'm saying that. But yeah…" He shrugged, "So, who's in for it?" Three hands shot up in the living room, except for the platinum-haired guitarist who was still punching the buttons on the remote viciously, a bored expression on his face. Shinn shoved at Yzak's legs, "Are you in, or not?"

Yzak shot him an absurd glance with an '_Are you crazy?_' written all over it. Undeterred, Shinn frowned and repeated his question, irritated. "Of course not. I've got more sense not to do something stupid like that," Yzak snarled. "Count me out."

Shinn was about to snap at him when Dearka put a hand up. "Let me handle this." He turned to face Yzak who gave him a "_There's-nothing-you-can-do-to-make-me_" kind of look. But that didn't deter Dearka.

"Look Yzak, I've got an interesting proposition I'm sure you'll like," Dearka said, crossing his fingers like some businessman discussing serious business. "Think about it, if Kira does get hooked up with Lacus, they'll date, they'll get married and he'll move out, won't he? So, no more Kira means one less loser around to annoy you, right?"

Instantly, Yzak's face brightened. "That's brilliant! Count me in!"

Dearka smirked triumphantly at Shinn and Athrun. "So, look's like we're all in then."

_Tuesday, 2.30pm_

_The "Amour" apartment_

"Well? What do we do now?" Shiho said, glancing from face to face, "Apparently, _your_ brother is too chicken to ask Lacus out."

"Well, he just lacks a little testosterone." Miriallia shrugged.

"No kidding. I think he lacks a Y-chromosome too."

"But I like him that way. I think he's kinda cute." Eyes turned to stared at Lacus who immediately blushed tomato red when she realized what she had just said. "Hmm…" Lunamaria grinned, "Our princess is actually falling deep in _love_." She teased in a sing-song fashion.

Lacus blushed at that.

"No worries, princess. I'm sure we can do something about that. So, what's your plan, Cagalli?" grinned Lunamaria.

"There's only one way to do this thing right. And we'll need all the help we can get…" Cagalli smirked as she picked up the phone and dialed a number.

_Author's note: So, how did you find this chapter? I've lost my touch, haven't I? Do leave a review. I'll really like to know how you feel about this chapter. Is it too disappointing? Till next time, and let's hope I'll do much better… Much more to come soon – just who did Cagalli call? o.O Care to make a guess?_


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